- Oct 24, 2014
- 15
- 0
- 22
The problem started yesterday - maybe before. I had 2 hens sitting eggs. The first used the nest box where most hens in my flock lay their eggs. The second hen started sitting her eggs under the nest box where the first was sitting. The eggs hatched on Monday, 20 Apr, 2 days ago. One egg remained un-hatched. Yesterday, the chicks tumbled out of the nest, as baby chicks will do. Since they couldn't get back in, momma decided to kick the second hen off her eggs and keep her babies with the eggs of the 2nd hen.
The 2nd hen just sat next to them. I figured that if I simply switched the eggs in the boxes the 2nd hen would sit her eggs in the nest box...and it seemed to work. She did sit them when I saw them. However, this morning Momma hen had left the nest with her babies and the other hen was back in her original nest sitting one egg. Her eggs were cold. I'm afraid that I've lost that hatch. I did move them back under her in the lower nest where she had been previously. And I moved the momma hen with her chicks to a smaller coop that I have.
The 2nd hen just sat next to them. I figured that if I simply switched the eggs in the boxes the 2nd hen would sit her eggs in the nest box...and it seemed to work. She did sit them when I saw them. However, this morning Momma hen had left the nest with her babies and the other hen was back in her original nest sitting one egg. Her eggs were cold. I'm afraid that I've lost that hatch. I did move them back under her in the lower nest where she had been previously. And I moved the momma hen with her chicks to a smaller coop that I have.
